Josh the Lovable Geek
by Wermo
Summary: Josh continues to play G Force even after 20 years. He's even bribed his wife into playing. He's really a big lovable geek with a capital G. This short story may have follow ups , has some sad and hopefully funny parts and unlikely pairings. Rated T.


Disclaimer: I do not own Kyle XY

He knew he was a total geek when it came to the original G-Force. The subsequent titles in a long series never seemed to have the punch of the original and so he stuck it out with the old game until only a handful of regulars played it on the occasional play date, not that he ever called it a date. It was more like a slugfest.

They didn't even know each other by name or where they lived. They lived and died by their call names. They even occasionally setup little tournaments – much like some people would play poker like on TV – but where the real prize lay in the bragging rights.

If Josh ever tried to log in at pretty much any other time, he never found anyone to play with. Not one. Even the original G-Force was not a fun game to play solo. And so Josh got his wife into playing, for the price of a nightly foot massage and the occasional embarrassing croon at the family karaoke machine – her family.

It came as a really big surprise when he saw his very first girl Andy – or Andromeda if he wanted a poke in the ribs – come to his parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner. The whole crew was there, even the podlings. In fact, one podling in particular seemed to be the sole reason for Andy's return to the Trager table. Her cancer had returned a few months ago and Kyle Trager, MD, PhD, Nobel Prize recipient on four separate occasions, and numerous other accolades ad nauseum , was treating her.

Since he'd cured a few forms of cancer, mainly lung and breast – and he was close to curing a few others – she'd gone to him like countless other patients. Naturally he'd remembered her perfectly and she had been accepted where countless others were put on waiting lists.

Would the old Kyle have put her in front of others, some in likely more dire circumstances, only because he knew her well? That was a good question, and as Josh stood there mouth agape at the entrance to the living room, his mind whirled through G-Force, his wife, his kids, Kyle's fame and fortune, and back to Andy, the girl he'd lost when she moved away to Connecticut.

Andy had always been quicker on the draw – it was why she'd always beaten him at G-Force, not that _she_ played anymore. "Hi Josh, it's great to finally see you again." The words were warm; the smile on her face and in her eyes rekindled their fiery pasts but was accompanied by a rather strict handshake, which he took mechanically. Since he was not yet able to speak, she turned to his wife. "You must be Julie; it's nice to meet you. I'm Andromeda but I prefer Andy."

Andy continued the onslaught by actually hugging his wife, who quite understandably stood still, shocked at this stranger of whom she'd only heard whispers and curses. The whispers normally revolved around Andy being Josh's _first_ and having two lesbian mothers. The curses normally centered on how she'd always been able to beat him at G-Force, despite years of practice.

Josh turned perplexed to Kyle, who had once beamed from ear to ear and was only now showing the tiniest bit of shame at having arrived here, on Thanksgiving, with Andy of all people.

As though it was self explanatory and perfectly reasonable to bring a younger brother's old flame to Thanksgiving dinner, Kyle announced, "I invited Andy when she told me she wasn't celebrating Thanksgiving this year."

Finally he had control of his tongue back! "Why?" he asked, turning to Andy, a very stunning, mature Andy, who'd be what? Thirty-six years old. His knees were locked straight; he didn't trust trying to walk with the shock.

Andy's smile never fully left her face. "My moms died six years ago in a car crash. I haven't been thankful much since." It bounced back when she turned back to Kyle. "But my cancer is already disappearing and it's only been two weeks since I started Kyle's treatment."

Kyle, always modest, smiled shyly. "You're almost cured."

His work and achievements were no secret to anyone in the room, except perhaps Andy and his two kids, aged five and four. They had already gone running through the basement with their aunt Jessi, playing some wild game that involved toy laser guns and pillows. Jessi was no slouch in the achievement department either but she kept a low profile, a clear contrast to Kyle.

He heard a few rabid yells and taunts downstairs and couldn't help but smile. Andy noticed right away though that Jessi wasn't with them, with the adults. She was of course with his kids, and Lori's three daughters. When another shriek echoed from the stairs he could only think one word: tomboys.

"Is that Jessi I hear downstairs?" Andy asked. Kyle nodded.

When Andy excused herself and made her way down to the labyrinthine child safe battle arena downstairs, Lori shouted after her, "Be sure to grab a pillow at the entrance!"

They all knew that the pillows were there to absorb all the laser energy – not that there was any danger if someone went in with no pillow. The pillows, when struck, would burst into tufts of fluff and regenerate as the fluffs inconspicuously reabsorbed into the pillows they emerged from.

It was all terribly complicated when Jessi explained it, but was sheer exhaustive fun when the kids played downstairs. When tufts of fluff were erupting everywhere, everyone would erupt in laughter and fall to their knees from the giddiness of it all.

They always slept very well after a visit to Jessi's house, which was three quarters play- and battleground and the remainder living space. Ever since Jessi had remodeled the unused basement here, the kids never emerged unless it was time to sleep, as there was a fancy child friendly kitchen and washroom facilities for both little boys and girls.

When Andy suddenly started shrieking as she was attacked by battle hardened tykes, Julie said, "That was the _Andy_?"

Kyle answered for him, another annoying trait he'd acquired over the years. His brain was always going too fast. "That was Andromeda, Josh's _first_."

But Julie was good natured and had only respect for Kyle even though he had an awfully large mouth nowadays. It was hard to get or even stay angry at someone who had helped so many in the world at large. "Yay for sloppy seconds, eh Josh?"

He was always good at a little repartee. "Your Canadian roots are showing again, _eh_ dear."

"You like it." She said, batting her eye lashes at him.

"I do." If everyone wasn't staring at him, he just might have kissed her right there.

But Lori was always a good buzz kill. "You two still behave like newlyweds!" Stephen and Nicole both chuckled and smiled on the couch, watching the exchange. With Jessi in the house, although usually downstairs, food was always ready when and where it was needed. Their parents had it easy.

From the wall emerged a string of gleaming robots each carrying a tray of food which they deposited on the large counter. The robots were only a foot and a half tall but could carry three times their weight or their size without problem. They were just one of Jessi's inventions.

Nicole announced, "Dinner is ready!" She turned to the smallest robot, the one who had brought the gravy. "Thank Jessi for me."

The robot's red eyes winked on and off twice. Although capable of human like speech, they usually refrained from using it unless they were with Jessi.

Andy came back from the dungeon below ground with the silliest grin on her face. "That has to be the coolest basement in the world!"

Lori's husband Nick said, "You haven't seen Jessi's house then. By the way, I'm Nick." They shook hands.

Andy shrugged in her sweater, "I thought she lived down there. It practically looks like it…"

Josh replied, "Oh no, she decorates our basements for us, improving the lives of our children with games that encourage physical activity while also keeping them safe."

Julie piped up, "They don't even want to play video games, unlike Josh here."

"You like it too," he said.

"I especially like the karaoke you mangle," Julie said sweetly.

"Quit it," he said, holding her hand lovingly. He really did enjoy making her laugh, and it was easy when he did poorly at karaoke. It was beyond weird having Andy in the room though, but he'd now been married to Julie for eight years so it wasn't so bad.

Andy's ears seemed to perk up at the mention of video games. "What do you play nowadays Josh," she asked as she sat down at the table next to Kyle.

He knew very well she wasn't playing G-Force anymore – and hadn't for years – but he wasn't going to admit it. But thanks to his lovely wife, who rather enjoyed seeing him squirm, she replied for him. "Oh, he's still playing the original G-Force."

Andy burst out laughing. Even Lori did something of a second glance at him. "That game's over twenty years old!"

He defended himself. "The first was the best." When both Julie and Andy looked at each other at his reply, and when everyone else followed suit, he could think of nothing but _"Foot in mouth."_

Despite the numerous chuckles and the obvious glances around the table, both his wife and Andy were gracious enough not to embarrass him too much. Once he recovered from his deep blush, he asked Andy, "And what have you been playing?"

"I'm always cutting edge Josh," she answered without actually answering him. "I play the latest games on my 75" 10 Layer 3D wall TV." Her eyes shined from the mere mention of the fancy setup. He could practically taste the experience. How he wanted to spend money so frivolously but his family took precedence.

Julie chimed in, "He'd _love_ that kind of setup. It might even make him get the latest systems instead of maintaining that eyesore."

"You wouldn't let me get something like that!" he accused his wife.

She smiled. "You're right. I hear the three or four layer immersion TV's are actually affordable now."

"But G-Force is incompatible with that kind of TV!" He felt torn.

"You're totally hopeless," Lori said, shaking her head.

Andy ganged up on him. "Living in the past isn't healthy Josh."

Even Kyle joined in, "The new TV's are mostly transparent diaphanous membranes and based on biotechnology. The newest ones are completely software and bio lights. They have next to zero environmental impact."

Josh was frustrated and yelled as he grabbed a bowl of a greenish pseudo vegetable, "Can we give thanks yet?"

Stephen tried to relieve the situation. "Andy, you should really try the little balls. They look questionable, but they're delicious!"

Nicole added, "They even taste like real meat."

Andy made a funny face as she glanced to Kyle. "Sure I'll try it."

"May I say grace?" asked Kyle.

Nicole nodded and he quickly started. Josh's thoughts had started to wander by the end of the monologue until Kyle finished with, "And finally, I am most thankful for Andromeda agreeing to marry me."

The words escaped his mouth in a rush, "What the f—"

An alarm sounded and lights started flashing around Josh. Jessi's voice resounded through the room, "Children in the premises; profanity is censored by default. Please refrain from using profanity of any kind."

Jessi appeared at the top of the stairs. "Josh, I heard you from downstairs!" she accused.

"I'm sorry. Can you turn off these lights?" They were very embarrassing.

Julie turned to him, "I keep telling you to get a language moderator installed."

Lori stared bug eyed. "You still don't have one? Isn't it the law?"

Josh said, "No they're not required in my field of work." The prison system wasn't as crowded as it had once been but there seemed to always be criminals. Those criminals needed guards.

Stephen and Nicole shared a glance. "It's surprising that it's taken this long for the alarms to go off then," Nicole said.

Jessi's eyes turned to Kyle and they both shared a somber smile. They weren't often in the same room, and they almost never saw each other. As Jessi excused herself, she walked into the living room and passed nearly within arm's reach of Kyle. He stepped back out of necessity. Even so, the lights flickered dangerously and the smell of ozone was suddenly in the air. She walked to the wall and a recess opened there and she promptly shut the alarm.

Andy sniffed the air a few times. "It smells like…" she said, trailing off.

Lori and Nicole took the opportunity to congratulate Andy on her engagement. Josh's eyes bore into Kyle, who seemed to be ignoring him. Andy was gracious and kind as he remembered her. He shook his head at what he remembered best.

Lori said, "So you were still single until recently?"

Andy smiled, "Until I saw Kyle and he and I just clicked like magic."

The recess in the wall closed anew and Jessi coolly walked by Andy on her way back downstairs. Josh had almost expected a fist to knock Andy's head of her shoulders. Before disappearing into the dungeon underground, Jessi muttered with a half smile, "Congratulations."

Kyle turned to her. "You know we can't be together Jessi."

Jessi supplied the problem. "We're human power plants."

He agreed. "That's not the way to live. We have more to give the world than power! Look at what you've created already!"

She softened, "And look at all your medical advances."

"I know, Jessi, I know. It's just better this way."

Andy grimaced and said, "Okay, what's going on here? Aren't Kyle and Jessi brother and sister?"

Josh yelled, "What the f—" He ignored the siren and the lights. "Kyle! You're going to marry her and you haven't _told _her?" Kyle was notorious for not telling girlfriends about his past. He remembered Amanda, then Sally, and Cassandra, Mariam, Jennifer, Luisa, and the list went on and on. Somehow he never told them and once they found out they left him.

Considering they weren't his first choice, it wasn't surprising. They weren't even his second. Only Amanda Bloom had been a true choice but she had not reconciled her faith with his being made in a lab. She'd left him a shell when he and Jessi discovered they couldn't work out. He'd buried himself in so much work that the accolades and the riches just poured in.

Much like Jessi, Josh thought wryly, remembering her grand estate. They might share some of it but they didn't give away any money.

"Told me what?" She directed her gaze at Kyle. Josh remembered that tone well.

Without even crossing the room, Jessi stretched her arm and the panel again slid open and the siren and lights were turned off. With a final sweep of her hand the panel slid back into place.

The actions were not lost on Andy. She eyed Kyle that much more fiercely. "_Told me_ _what?_"

***

Despite the fireworks that night, Kyle and Andy got married two months later. Much to her surprise, Andy was fertile despite having gone through numerous chemo and radiation sessions when she was a teenager. They now all knew who had fixed her. Baby number one was already on its way.

Jessi followed soon after by marrying Declan, who'd recently divorced Hilary. Declan's job involved managing the troupe of order and delivery robots. They also had a very good life.

And Josh was happily surprised by a reprogramming of the original G-Force which was done by none other than Kyle and Jessi in their first collaborative effort. It was absolutely flawless in its replication. Every grainy wall, every exploitable enemy, everything was perfect.

Josh played the new and yet old game with his new retro style 55" 4L Immersion TV. The best part was he didn't need to wait for the gang to play it. It seemed that lots of people were playing this, even though he'd yet to find it on store shelves. It was that popular. He was perpetually giddy, and gave numerous massages to his wife. She almost always had a smile on her face.

***

Jessi called Kyle on video phone. "When do we tell him he's not playing against people but against the first true computer artificial intelligence?"

Kyle sighed. "We've asked him to take it easy on our brother." They had long ago decided to call the computer him rather than it.

"Yeah but won't he _eventually _get bored?"

"He will, but that's when he'll teach Josh how to play better."

It was Jessi's turn to sigh. "Josh is pretty resistant to teaching. He's set in his ways."

"That's his test. If he can learn to teach Josh how to play better, he will have achieved something wonderful."

Jessi was silent on the other end. Being a video phone one didn't always need to talk. Her smile said a thousand words.


End file.
